Johnny Watterson talks to Ronan McCormack who, after a circuitous route, is eager to make an impact for Leinster without the fanfare

It could be said that team-mates Ronan McCormack and Luke Fitzgerald are at opposite ends of the celebrity spectrum. The teenager Fitzgerald, almost a decade younger than his frontrow colleague, has this week been trumpeted into the international limelight with even greater aplomb than the previous generations of wunderkinds, Tommy Bowe, Andrew Trimble, Rob Kearney . . . And as it all goes around, the older soldiers look on, Denis Hickie, Shane Horgan and Brian O'Driscoll recognising the drill, understanding the media's fevered consumption of anything new.

But props don't get that kind of treatment. It's a function of their position. It's the job they do. The props are the plumbers, the drain cleaners of the rugby world. They get their kicks out of the game's equivalent of faucet threads and ballcocks. They talk hip alignment and binding. They concentrate on getting the push and low body angles, while the lively backs sip champagne and hang out with the arty crowd.

A rule of thumb is that the further away from the pack you are the more stylish your game. The most effective prop in the world would struggle to draw the attention that Fitzgerald or O'Driscoll receives, although Peter Clohessy, it has to be said, gave it a decent twist. The Claw had a regarded notoriety, a certain brand of pizzazz.

Those players of more industry than flash are the players McCormack has looked to and learned from. In Ulster it was Rod Moore and South Africa's Robby Kempson. Now it's Michael Cheika, Roly Meates, Mike Brewer and, of course, Reggie Corrigan. The war horse Corrigan, for all of his Irish caps, is the player McCormack has supplanted this season at loosehead prop after a year of indifferent form.

"On the off season I reviewed everything that went for me last year," says McCormack. "The bottom line was that I would have preferred to have been starting more games. The reason I didn't start is because my form wasn't good enough. I'm quite happy to say that.

"When I was in Ulster we had very strong designated ball carriers, the backrow guys like Neil Best and Roger Wilson. My game developed more into a supporting role at the breakdown. Within the Leinster game plan tight forwards need to be carrying the ball a lot. That was something I didn't really adjust to last season.

"Even if you are only going to get half an hour or 20 minutes off the bench, last year I felt that I didn't really use that time to make enough of an impression. This season I said whatever game time I got, I'd try to use it to make an impression and make sure that I didn't waste one minute."

There is little doubt that McCormack has travelled the scenic route from his schooling in Dublin to the bosom of the Leinster team. The St Mary's player initially took the traditional step of any decent player who wanted to continue playing decently and cosied into UCD, where he rubbed shoulders with Paddy Wallace, Ciarán Scally and Brian O'Driscoll before his plans took him on a tour of duty around Ireland. Connacht for two years, Ulster for another two and now at 29 years old, the Leinster prop is back to where it all started. And all without much fanfare.

"Yeah, I'm starting at the moment but Reggie is very much still there," he says with the guarded air of a man who knows that warm breath on his shoulder will be a constant companion this season.

"To be totally honest with you there are quite a number of people who haven't had much game time, frontrowers like John Lyne, Johnny Wickham and Rob Sweeney. But you support the guys who are playing. Pre-season Reggie was looking as sharp as any of the guys running up the hills in Killiney. He's been a player and an outstanding leader as well. The fact that I'm getting starts now is just the way things are. He's looking to start games. He'll be looking to want to play."

But playing too can bring its own dragging baggage as much as benefits and in recent matches McCormack has found himself taking the lonely walk to the touchline when he would have preferred to keep the Leinster numbers at team size. Yellow carded in three out of the last four matches was not part of his game plan, but so too is it a streak of cards that is out of character.

"Yeah, three in four games sounds terrible," he says. "The first and most important thing is that I am aware that for those 10 minutes I am off the pitch. It's my own team that I'm affecting. Regardless about what myself or anyone else might feel about how referees make decisions, or, if they are warranted, it doesn't matter because the team still plays with 14 men. From that point of view it's disappointing. But if you look at my overall record it is very good with regard to discipline.

"At Murrayfield it was a technical infringement when I tackled a scrumhalf when I hadn't retreated 10 yards.

"The rucking on (Paul) O'Connell? On reflection I think if he (line judge) reviewed the tape he might have called it differently. At the time I was angry, really angry to go off six or seven minutes into the match. It was a big game for me and the team and one of the things we've been focusing on this season is to start our games well. Obviously that's one of the worst possible starts you can have."

As one American coach observed, "Potential means that you haven't won anything yet." Leinster have potential but a few times this season it was difficult to appreciate. Against Border Rievers two weeks ago, a match against one of the weaker teams in the Magners Celtic League slipped away, while the game against Gloucester in the European Cup was good when it was good and bad when it was bad. That Leinster took the win and five points is their reward but it was far from complete.

"Nobody is getting carried away with Gloucester," says the prop. "There were certain aspects of the game that we were happy with. There was a hell of a lot we know we have to work on. That's the way the team is run and it doesn't always come from the coach. Without going into specific areas, we still have a lot of work to do. But we got the win and five points and that does give you confidence."

Getting heads switched on, getting concentrated. The Leinster tight five understand that the ball they earn is well invested when they feed it to the back line. That supply to the champagne runners is what puts fear into the opposition and is what Edinburgh will try to disrupt tonight in whatever way they can. But as McCormack explains Leinster can soar with the gods but to do it consistently in the way that trophy-winning teams requires other skills.

"I think our scrums have competed quite well this year. I know we're under fire from certain people in TV and in the media but everybody has a job to do and people can interpret how the scrum is or how the forwards play any way they like. It doesn't bother me. I don't find it offensive. The coach and the senior players are the only ones I listen to. Any big club like Leinster is going to have pressure. But our expectations come from within. The fact that Stuart Barnes (Sky commentator and former England outhalf) rates us as favourites means nothing to us."

There's an honest defiance in McCormack and his voice rings with enthusiasm. He's in a challenging place he likes. Maybe not doing star turns for the television cameras between O'Driscoll and Fitzgerald but comfortable where he is.

Edinburgh 20 Leinster 14

Magners League 2006-2007, Murrayfield

Leinster were missing their international contingent and came up against a largely full Edinburgh side. The home side grabbed a couple of tries through Allister Hogg and replacement Duncan Hodge while Chris Paterson added the rest with the boot from two conversions and two penalties. Leinster's response came from three penalties by Felipe Contepomi and a try from Ronan McCormack.

Edinburgh 8 Leinster 31

Celtic League 2005-2006, Murrayfield

Michael Cheika's Leinster were chasing the title in the final game of the season. They needed to not alone to win the match but score four tries. Leinster accomplished all targets except outright victory in the league as Ulster beat the Ospreys on the same night.

Leinster 13 Edinburgh 27

Celtic League 2005-2006,

Donnybrook "Leinster-lite" were nowhere near good enough against a side that scored four tries, three of them in a very one-sided second half. The home side didn't score after the interval.

Leinster 34 Edinburgh 34

European Cup 2000-2001, Donnybrook

We'll leave it to Matt Williams to describe a match in which Leinster snatched a draw from the jaws of victory. "We made some tactically incorrect decisions in the last five minutes . . . In the second half we had 20 per cent of the ball, at the 20 minute mark we'd only held the ball for 30 seconds, so that means we tackled for over 17 minutes and that takes some courage."

Edinburgh 29 Leinster 21

European Cup 2000-2001, Myreside

Williams probably best encapsulated the night for the visitors: "I was very happy with the performance but disappointed at the outcome. For us this season it is an achievement to have the same 22 players for the second match running." ... - John O'Sullivan